Apparatus for binding pulverulent fuel



March 11,1930. TURKE v 1,750,609

APPARATUS FOR BINDING PULVERULENT FUEL Filed May 24. 1928 cl 5 f k 6 6' fi & I

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Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHANNES T'l'll'BKE, OF BEUTHEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO EMIL KLEINSCHMIDT,

OF FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR BINDING PULVERULENT FUEL Application. filed May 24, 1928, Serial No My invention relates to means for binding pulverulent fuel prior to briquetting same, in which a liquid binder, for instance liquid pitch, is mixed with the fuel by spraying.

It has already been proposed to atomize the binder and to admix it to the fuel material through the medium of a nozzle operated by steam or air under pressure, the' binder being ejected into the freely flowing o material. In the process as heretofore performed, however, the binder is not supplied to the nozzle under pressure, and this involves several drawbacks The binder has'a tendency to stick to the mouth of the nozzle so that is frequent inspection of the nozzle is required,

atomizing by steam has the additional drawback that a considerable percentage of water is admixed to the material, causing an increased consumption of'binder. On the other hand, atomization by air under pressure while eliminating the drawback of increased consumption of binder, involves the formation of dust which is so excessive that it must be abated by admixing steam in most cases, thereby requiring steam in addition to the already considerable volume of compressed air required. Apart from this the loss of the very fine dust is considerable and therefore the process of atomizing with compressed air is not commercial.

These drawbacks are overcome according to this invention by supplying the liquid binder to the nozzle under a predetermined preferably constant pressure.

In reducing the invention to practice I prefer providing a supply tank from which the binder, for instance fluid pitch, is forced into a pressure tank in which its pressure is regulated exactly to a predetermined amount by means of suitable means, for instance a relief valve. Preferably the pressure in the tank is 90 to 150 lbs. per sq. in. Under this pressure the binder is supplied to a nozzle, preferably a spray nozzle, or a set of nozzles which may be operated alternately or in any combination, as desired.

In this manner, with the binder under high pressure, the atomization in the spray nozzle is extremely fine. Sticking of the binder to the nozzle and consequent reduction of its 280,341, and. in Germany August 9. 1926.

area are prevented by the high pressure acting on the binder and by the elimination of carriers such as compressed air or steam which by cooling the nozzle increase the tendency of the binder to stick.

In the drawing affixed to this specification and forming part thereof an apparatus in which the process may be performed, is illustrated diagrammatically by way of example.

In the drawing a is a tank for the fluid 5 binder such as pitch or the like, I) is a ump the suction pipe h of which is connecte with the tank a and which delivers to a pressure tank 0 through a delivery pipe h. f is a relief valve on the pump, g is a by-pass connecting the relief valve f with the suction pipe I, d is a relief valve on the tank 0 which is connected with a return pipe 6 to the tank a, the relief valve d regulating the pressure in the air or gas space of the tank to a predetermined amount, 0 is a pressure gauge connected with the air or gas space, i is a discharge pipe connected with the hquid space of the tank, is is a nozzle, preferably a spray nozzle, m is a rotary mixing cylinder and n is a hopper from which the pulverulent fuel 0 flows into the cylinder m so as to be intersected by the jet of the nozzle is. If desired an auxiliary nozzle is may be provided for the urpose specified.

In the operation of this apparatus the pump 1') forces the binder" from the storage tank a into the pressure tank a, the pressure in which is maintained constant by the relief valved. Onone of the nozzleslcbeing opened 35 a spray of liquid binder under constant pressure, but undiluted by air or steam, is directed onto the stream of pulverulent fuel issuing from the hopper n, the mixture of fuel and binder being mixed further in the revolving cylinder m.

I wish it to be understood that I do 'not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described for obvious modifications will occur to a person 5 skilled in the art.

I claim:

Apparatus for applying liquid binder to pulverulent fuel comprising a supply tank for the liquid binder, a pump, a conduit connecting the tank and pump, a by-pass between the pum and conduit, a relief valve controlling sai by-pass, a pressure tank, a supply connection between the pump and pressure tank, a return ipe connecting the pressure tank and supply tank, a relief valve con trolling said return pipe, a spray nozzle in connection with said pressure tank, and means for directing an exposed flow of the pulverulent fuel into the spray issuing from said nozzle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

J OHANNES TURKE. 

